51% of target 131,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads completed: PBBM

Farmers lead their cows to a safer place in Ilagan town, Isabela province, north of Manila on July 25, 2023, as Typhoon Doksuri headed toward northern Philippines.  (Photo by STR / AFP)

(Eagle News)–Fifty-one percent of the more than 131000 kilometers of road the government aims to construct as part of the Farm-to-Market Road Network Program have been completed, President Bongbong Marcos said.

According to the President, this translates to 67,328.92 kilometers built of the target 131,410.66 kilometers within six years.

The President said the constructed road so far is equivalent to 32 times of road trips from Aparri to Jolo.

“It is not an initiative only to do with agriculture, it is a connection between all the different communities. But of course its main purpose is to connect the markets and the producers— sa ating mga agricultural sectors lalo,” he said.

In September 2023, the President, who was then concurrently serving as secretary of the Department of Agriculture, ordered the prioritization of farm-to-market road projects.

He said these were critical to ensuring the smooth transport of goods and services, also for the benefit of farmers.